Another Holmesian adventure of FBI special agent Pendergast. Not quite as strong on characters as most of the previous installments in the series, but still a good read. If you haven't read any of the prior books, I'd recommend going back to read them first. Pendergast is a complex character and there's not much background included in this book to help you understand why he's so excentric. I strongly recommend the series to anyone who like Holmes. Not as good, of course, but the best modern version of a similar character I've come across.